


The Serpent's Curse

by orphan_account



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Angst, Blind Kaneki, Fluff, Gorgon Hide, M/M, More characters to be added, poor bunny rabbit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-10
Updated: 2015-08-20
Packaged: 2018-04-13 22:35:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4540026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A monster lived in the caves above a town, sad and lonely. That is until someone immune to his curse came stumbling into his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Fated Encounter?

A small white rabbit hopped down a hardly worn path, jumping from rock to rock as it crossed a shallow stream, the tops dry as they were just prodding out of the gentle water. The trickle led back into a cave, its entrance nearly covered by a thick layer of vegetation. Outside, soil was upturned as if something had been planted.

Hearing the craw of a predator, the tiny bunny ventured into the dark cave with desperation.

But something else lurked there in secrecy.

There was a cry of distress and the bunny froze solid, slowly freezing from head to toe. Its legs were still outstretched from its last hop and a young teenager lunged forward to catch it before it could fall.

He carefully set the stone rabbit down, leaning it against the wall so it wouldn’t fall over and break into tiny little pieces. He murmured half-choked apologies and patted its head lightly.

“I’m so sorry little bunny.” He sniffled. “Why were you all by yourself? In a place like this? Were you lonely too?”

…

The cave was in the mountains, overlooking the town in the distance. It didn’t used to be so close. In his parent’s time, the town used to be a full two days’ worth of walking away. The distance couldn’t be traveled by horse, as the path was far too treacherous and littered with stones and holes hidden by the thick grass and vegetation. Because of that, few people would venture too far up the mountain. As the town expanded, those travels became more frequent. Even in Hide’s lifetime so far, the lights were getting closer and closer as the town kept expanding.

At the young age of fifteen, his presence there became known.

It wasn’t uncommon for people to go missing in the mountains. People would sometimes try to cross over, but would be lost over the steep cliffs and the jagged rocks below, the journey only getting more difficult and deadly the further they traveled. But, Hide lived well below the treeline in a rather safe area, so when the civilians began realizing people were going missing in his area, they came to investigate. First came curious travelers or adventurers, then came the soldiers. All those who saw his face died, turning to stone.

In the night, Hide would bury the bodies in the thick forest, unable to look at the horrified expressions on their frozen faces. In the past, he would plant flowers outside his cave’s entrance. They were beautiful and gave him something to do on his long and boring days.

As more soldiers came his flowers were trampled and replaced with warnings scratched into the cave’s rock. Wooden signs were put up, cautioning against entrance and the monster lurking inside. Hide retreated further inside the cave, only venturing outside to hunt for food. He could hardly ever bask in the sun, instead he had to make do with the faint light filtering through a hole in the ceiling of the cave, also allowing rainwater to dribble down through the opening into a fresh underground spring – Hide’s source of water.

At twenty years old, no one except trained warriors came to his cave. They were hoping to slay the monster living there, but none of them ever succeeded. Any of the people that knew how his powers worked were dead.

He was so lonely.

…

Hide was just starting to drift off to sleep when he heard footsteps. He thought it must have been another person having come to kill him. He sighed, pressing his back up against the rocky wall slowly, being cold from the lack of sun he got during the rainy day. He braced himself, but stopped in surprise when a person came into sight.

He looked… very odd. For one, he had white hair. Hide thought he might have been an elderly man at first, but it became very obvious the man was around Hide’s age. He had white bandages wrapped around his eyes and was trailing his one hand along a wall, taking careful footsteps as he moved forward.

He didn’t even bring a weapon to kill Hide with? Or well, at least not a visible one. But the bandages… did someone find out how to kill him?

Hide shifted uneasily and the man’s head jerked up. “Is there someone there?”

Uh. What? Did he not know he was there? The man muttered a few words to himself and he continued forward a few steps before sliding down the wall, practically across from Hide.

“Who are you?” The man jumped in surprise at Hide’s voice, fingers scrabbling the ground as he instinctively scooted backwards, banging his head on the wall.

He swore, rubbing the back of his head in pain. “What?”

Hide slowly slid closer, fascinated by the person in front of him. He was turning his head slightly, tilting it. Listening.

“Am I imagining things?” It was just a whisper, to himself.

But Hide answered. “No.”

He never talked to anyone since his parents died. He was never so close. He never touched human skin. He brushed his fingers over the human’s cheek, marveling at its smoothness. He used both his hands to rub the human’s cheeks, pinching them slightly. “You’re cute,” he decided.

“Right.” The man hesitantly placed his hands over Hide’s clothed wrists. “Now, I would appreciate if you could stop touching may face.”

“Oh. Sorry.” Hide placed his hands on his knees, rocking back. He watched the man rub his reddened cheeks. “What’s your name?”

The man pursed his lips. “Kaneki. And yours?”

“ _Hide_.” He drew the name out as he said it. He couldn’t believe he was _actually_ talking to someone.

His snakes were being surprisingly passive, occasionally wriggling about, but not making a sound, not even the slightest hiss in Kaneki’s direction. Hide petted one’s head, worried, but it curled around his finger, flicking its tongue out against his skin.

“Hide… what are you doing here?” Kaneki smiled uneasily and Hide hurried to answer his question, hoping to put him at ease.

“I live here! Ah!” Hide stood with a sudden realization. “Come sit over here. It’s more comfortable.” He pulled on Kaneki’s shirt, guiding him over to Hide’s bed – a thick layer of dried grass weaved together.

“You live here? In this cave?” He was disbelieving.

“Yep!” Hide grinned as Kaneki felt the grass beneath him. Hide was really proud of himself for making it so well. It was much better than sleeping on the cold floor. “What are you doing here?”

“Ah… I was traveling with some friends… the rain made everything kind of slippery and I kind of… fell down a slope. They were probably looking for me. I hoped they stopped when it got dark.” He drew in on himself, pulling his knees to his chest.

It was only then that Hide noticed Kaneki’s clothes were muddy and torn in some places. “Are you hurt?” Hide grabbed Kaneki’s clothing again, pulling at it to inspect the tears and search for any blood. There was some, but not what Hide would consider a lot. His snakes moved with agitation, twisting and tickling the back of Hide’s neck. They hissed lowly, creating a buzzing.

“What’s that?” Kaneki frowned.

“Oh… ah.” Hide laughed uncomfortably. “That’s…”

Kaneki was reaching forward, and before Hide could stop him, he touched one of the serpents sprouting from Hide’s head. Kaneki froze as it curiously rubbed against his fingers. “That’s… odd.”

“Yuki. Be nice.” The snake twisted back and bumped its nose into Hide’s forehead before curling back together with the others.

“Can I?” Kaneki held his palms out towards Hide, waiting for Hide to give him permission.

Hide licked his lips nervously, fists clenching and then relaxing. “I guess I touched your face, so it’s only fair.”

He put his hands over Kaneki’s and carefully drew them up to his face, resting them on his cheeks. After another moment of consideration, he released Kaneki’s hands, letting them roam where he pleased.

He brushed his fingers across Hide’s cheekbones, feeling the scales surrounding his face, getting thicker and greater in number towards his ears and down his neck. Kaneki’s fingers traced back, going over his nose and under his eyes, exploring the scales scattered there. 

When Kaneki reached towards Hide’s snakes, his breath hitched. But he didn’t have to worry. As Kaneki drew his fingertips along Hide’s scalp, the snakes writhed about, happily entangling Kaneki’s hands in their mass.

“I think they like you,” Hide somehow managed to stutter out, flushing horribly. Why wasn’t Kaneki running or screaming? He knew Hide was a monster. He knew he wasn’t human. Why was he still sitting there, brushing his palms down Hide’s arms to grasp Hide’s hands in his? He turned them over and Kaneki pulled his fingers along the rough backs, all the way down to his sharp clawed fingernails.

He examined his hands thoroughly, feeling the shape of his nails, seeming unafraid they would cut him. He pressed his fingers into Hide’s palms. They were like a humans. Soft. A contrast to the other side.

Kaneki stopped when something wet plopped onto his hand. He froze in surprise before realizing what it was. He gently brushed the tears off Hide’s face. “Sorry. Did something I do hurt?”

“No. _No –_ that’s not…” Hide sniffed, rubbing his face harshly and Kaneki hesitantly and awkwardly patted Hide’s shoulders.  

“How long have you been here?” Kaneki carefully squeezed Hide’s shoulders and he relaxed into the touch.

He bit his lip hard to stop its trembling. “My whole life. I’ve been here my whole life.”

“Why haven’t you…”

“I _can’t._ ” Hide felt his eyes sting again and he fought against the building tears and the tightening of his throat. “Anyone who sees my face _dies.”_

“I’m not dead, am I?”

“Well, no.” Hide murmured. “But that’s because you –“

“Are blind?” Hide couldn’t place the emotion in Kaneki’s voice.

“Because you haven’t seen my face.” Hide amended.

“And I never will,” Kaneki said. “So I assure you, I will not be dying.”

“Maybe you.” Hide groaned in frustration.

“And no one else either.” Kaneki prodded. “As long as they don’t see your face, right? So all we have to do is cover it up.” Kaneki hummed to himself and ran a hand through his snowy hair. “We have a lot of props in the caravan…”

“Caravan?”

Kaneki nodded. “The group I was separated from. We’re traveling performers. We put on plays for the towns we cross through. Ah – but never mind that for now. I have an idea.”

“Hmm?” What exactly was Kaneki planning?

“We’re going to have to wait until morning though.”

Hide agreed. He didn’t want Kaneki venturing out at night and hurting himself more than he already was.


	2. New Beginnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, in case you didn't notice from the series' name, this story is for Hidekane Week 2015. Day 1 Prompt was Introductions, Day 2 (this chapter) is Spring. As you can see, I've changed the rating and added a warning since this story is a little darker than originally anticipated.

Morning came quickly. Kaneki liked Hide. Despite being so secluded, he was bright and talkative, eager to keep a conversation going and jumping from one topic to another seemingly at random. He wanted to talk about everything he could, he words shooting out so fast at points that Kaneki could hardly keep up.

But didn’t really think Hide would kill him or eat him or something, but he didn’t know Hide all that much yet and couldn’t fall asleep.

Hide did though. He sometimes dozed off midsentence only to keep blabbing in his sleep about various animals and things, occasionally saying Kaneki’s name in an excited tone, only to be followed with a snore.

He was strange.

When Kaneki heard the birds chirping with the sunrise, he shook Hide awake and asked for his confirmation that it was morning.

Hide groaned, rolling over on his makeshift bed and stuffed his face into his arms, the snakes hissing as he disturbed them. It took some more prodding, but when Hide finally awoke, he had his hands full once again. Hide had a lot of energy, having stolen Kaneki’s body heat while he slept. No matter what Kaneki did during the night, Hide always found a way back to clinging to him somehow.

“I promise I’ll be back.” Kaneki stated.

He didn’t receive an answer from Hide. Until a cool body launched into his arms, Hide’s fingers clasping the back of his shirt tightly. “You better.”

Kaneki gave a small laugh at that. “Now. Do you have a stick?”

“A stick?” He could hear the confusion in Hide’s voice, but then he darted off and Kaneki figured he must have understood. Except Kaneki realized he didn’t when Hide came back and took Kaneki’s hand and curled it around a twig that would be far better off as a fire-starter.

“No, more like…” Kaneki gestured to about half his body height. “And about this thick.”

Hide came back once more sometime later. “Like this?”

When he pressed it into Kaneki’s hand, he gave it a few whacks on the ground to test its sturdiness. “Yeah. Perfect. Just wait here.”

“See you soon?” Kaneki nodded at Hide’s question and waved, but Hide’s responding one was lost to him.

It was a difficult climb, especially with only being able to use one arm, but the stick helped him not fall off any cliffs, so that was good.

Ideally, staying in the same place he fell would have been the best option. If he hadn’t been half hanging off a sheer cliff with rocks shifting beneath him. Besides, he wouldn’t have found Hide’s cave if he hadn’t moved.

The others couldn’t be too far off. He occasionally called out to them, but not too loud, since he wasn’t exactly sure off his surroundings most of the time. It was when he finally heard voices that he felt some relief. Specifically, it was Touka and Nishio arguing, probably about him.

They quieted when they heard him approaching.

He was going to get a real earful.

He packed things in a bag while Touka yelled at him. There were various clothes and a few other accessories. Kaneki also put aside some new clothes and yanked off his shirt.

That was when Touka finally sighed and retreated to let Nishio take over with the medical kit, bandaging Kaneki’s various injuries.

“You’re lucky you don’t need stitches.” He dabbed the blood on his shoulder, taking a closer look at the wound. “Oh no wait. Look, you do.”

Kaneki sighed. “It doesn’t feel that deep.”

“Yeah, well it is.” There was the sensation of the wound being cleaned with alcohol and then the poking and pulling as Nishio stitched the wound up. “You need to be more careful.”

“I told you to stay closer to the caravan.” Touka was back and there was an exchange of some kind of material. Nishio wrapped and plastered bandages over his injuries while Touka picked at some his blood that stuck his hair to the back of his neck. “And you just had to go and fall of a cliff. What are we going to do with you?”

“So I guess now would not be the best time to say I’m going back down the cliff?” Kaneki inquired, quirking his eyebrows.

“Why in the _fuck_ would you be going back down?” Kaneki ducked under the swat he knew was going for his head, lips twitching as he heard Touka’s frustrated huff.

“You know that’s a shitty idea, Kaneki.” Nishio muttered, putting away the various medical supplies.

“Well, I know it isn’t very safe,” Kaneki stated matter-of-factly as he finished packing everything away in his bag. He slipped on warmer garments, the mountain air nipping at his skin. “But, I found a safer way down. Also, I met someone.”

“You… met someone?” So maybe it was odd for Kaneki to talk to too many people outside the caravan, with the exception being during the shows they put on.

“Yeah. He’s kind of interesting. I was thinking, maybe he could come with us?” It wasn’t really too much of a question, especially when he knew they would say yes. They always needed more hands, especially to help set up before and clean up after shows.

“For you to say interesting, he must be really weird,” Nishio scoffed. “Do want us to come with you?”

“Nah. I think I’ll be good.” Kaneki adjusted a few more things and tightened the straps around his shins.

“Don’t die.” Touka’s voice was further away, she was probably going to catch some extra sleep.  

Kaneki hummed. “I’ll try not to.” And after a slap on the shoulder from Nishio, he was off again.

The climb down was easier. He memorized where his footholds were, so there was no guess work like the first time, where he almost died multiple times when a soft or loose part of the wall or ground gave way under his weight.

He was almost as Hide’s cave when he heard voices and crouched down. They were loud, boisterous. Two men, each carrying weapons. The sound of their armor clanked while they walked.

“The town’s people said it was here,” one said gruffly.

“Well not for long. I want that bounty.”

_Shit_. Kaneki dropped his bag and crept forward. They had come to the entrance of Hide’s cave. Kaneki could hear the echo as their voices disappeared within.

Slipping lower to the ground, Kaneki shoved his leg warmer down, revealing a long dagger, which he quickly pulled from its sheath. The weight of weapon was familiar and made him feel safer traveling into an unknown situation.

He heard two screams.

The first was one of the men.

The second was Hide’s.

That was when Kaneki threw caution out and rushed forward. “Hide!” He heard the sound of a weapon being drawn and he quickly formed a mental map of the situation. Based on the sound of the sword being drawn, he could determine the man’s location and height, as well as the length and weight of the sword and the general speed of the person using it.

The sword was long, heavy. The person drawing it was slow and big, surely over a full foot taller than Kaneki.

A brute.

Kaneki had fought his fair share. They could try to use power and force all they wanted, but Kaneki had speed and evasiveness.

Kaneki would get to him before he could even begin his first swing.

Light footed and nearly silent, the man probably couldn’t even hear Kaneki over his own heartbeat. He didn’t realize he was there until there was a sharp pain in his side, forcing him to double over as the muscles were sliced.

The man’s direction changed in desperation, a wild swing being thrown out to catch Kaneki off guard, but Kaneki already had one palm placed against his opponent’s bicep to sense the direction of his swing and to control his movements. At the close range, there was no way he would be able to get a good hit in with his sword. Well, not before Kaneki finished the fight anyway.

Kaneki swung his arm up, knocking the man under the chin with the pommel of his dagger and he collapse in a heap, knocked out cold.

Kaneki could hear Hide’s heavy breathing and quiet sobs. Hesitantly, he reached forward and touched his shoulder. He could feel him jump at the light touch. He was curled up with his face pressed into his knees. Kaneki wasn’t sure when he moved to that position.

“I didn’t want to hurt anyone again.” Hide cried. “I didn’t want you to think I’m a monster. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

Ah… so the other man then… he must have looked at Hide and…

Kaneki frowned and spoke. “I don’t think you’re a monster… Hide. There are many bad things in this world. There are many bad people… _horrendous people… awful people… true monsters_ and I’ve met so many of them… I really don’t think you belong in that group.”

“You… don’t?”

“No.” Kaneki stated. “Not at all. The Hide I know is a guy with scaly skin, some cool snakes, and an obsession with flowers and friendship.”

That got a laugh out of Hide. Kaneki heard him sniffle and wipe his face with the sleeve of his robe.

“Now let’s get you out of this dreary place.” Kaneki held out his hand and Hide gladly took it. “Wait for me outside while I make sure this guy can go home okay tonight, alright?”

Twenty minutes later, Kaneki was retrieving his backpack and handing Hide the contents. “We can put this over your head. It’s fairly loose, but it can still get hot. You can see out, but people can’t see your face through it.”

Hide experimentally tried on the items Kaneki brought him, ditching his old and torn cloths which he had for who knows how many years. He was making offhand comments about how warm everything was, then proceeded to crow about how much he loved all of it.

The second journey back to the caravan was by far the most enjoyable yet. Hide was darting all over the place while Kaneki safely stayed on his path, taking whatever Hide brought back for him.

It was usually flowers.

With the spring, they were all blooming and Hide was extremely happy about it.

He brought back all types, rattling off descriptions of how they looked and their various colours as Kaneki tried to match names to as many as he could.

Most of them ended up tucked under the straps of his clothing, or were woven into his hair. Hide occasionally had them stop walking so he could touch up Kaneki’s ‘crown’ because it ‘just wasn’t bright enough.’

He never really quieted down, despite his voice beginning to sound hoarse and strained from exertion.

“What about you Kaneki? Do you like this time of year?”

“Huh?” Oh. He had been lost in his own thoughts. He considered Hide’s question. “I do. It reminds me of new beginnings. Everything is growing and healthy. I also remember it being very beautiful,” he added sadly.

“New beginnings… yeah.” Hide muttered to himself, before Kaneki could almost _feel_ him perk up next to him. “I’ll describe _everything_ to you.”

Kaneki laughed at Hide’s sincere tone. “Thanks. But it’s really not necessary.” Though it would be nice occasionally, especially with Hide’s enthusiasm.

Hide went on to describe the trees. He was excited with everything. He didn’t see too many things before, since he didn’t stray too far from the cave, so every new thing he discovered made him even happier.

Hide was like a breath of fresh air. He wasn’t like anyone else Kaneki met before. Aside from his obvious physical differences, his personality was something else. Even after all his hardships, he could still be so bright, so radiant.

Kaneki wouldn’t mind spending a lot more time with him.

Falling down that damn cliff may have been one of the best things to ever happen to him.


	3. Showtime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm trash and this is late. Also, it's super late for me and I wake up in like six hours so forgive my proofreading skills (because they are even worse than they usually are). This is also sort of a transition chapter, but I tried to keep it fairly interesting.  
> For Day 4: Costuming.

Touka didn’t take her eyes off Hide. She was skeptical of his cloaked form, but kept quiet, trusting Kaneki could handle anything that came his way.

Hide was oblivious to her stare, running around and gaping at everything. He took a special interest in the stage props, handing them to Kaneki and asking what they were and what they used them for on stage.

Kaneki smiled after Hide passed over about a dozen items. “You can see when we actually put on a show.”

“ _Can I really?_ ” Kaneki could hear him bouncing in excitement.

Kaneki put his palms on Hide’s shoulders, stopping his insistent rocking. “Well did you think Touka would let you get off without helping out?”

“ _I can help!?_ ” That only made Hide happier. “What am I going to do?”

Kaneki struggled not to laugh at his enthusiasm. “I don’t know yet. Yoshimura will decide when we get to the next town. He went ahead to set up somewhere we would be able to perform. The others went with him to advertise and get a crowd for us.”

“The others?” Hide pressed.

“Yeah. You didn’t think it was just us, did you?”

“Yes?” Hide was surprised into silence and Kaneki reached out to tap his nose, finger landing on its target on the second attempt.

“Well you have a lot more people to meet.”

Kaneki could hear the whisper of fabric as Hide’s snakes wriggled around with his emotion.

“Are you nervous?” Kaneki was worried Hide would be uncomfortable with all the people around him, especially after the experiences he had with other humans.

But it seemed he didn’t have to worry. “No. I like your friends. They’re nice.”

“That’s good to hear.” Kaneki murmured, relieved. “I’m sure they’ll like you as well.”

Hide hummed happily at that.

“Now come on. We need to set up for the night.”

Touka stopped the horses and Nishio pulled a tent out of the caravan to begin setting up. He called Hide over to help him, or rather teach him, since Hide had no idea what a tent even was.

It was difficult for Hide to pay attention, since he kept on being distracted by the horses, causing NIshio to yell at him every once in a while.

Hide loved the horses. They were skittish of him at first, but after some prompting, they were eating right out of his hand, much to his pleasure. Hide made a point to tell Kaneki how shocked he was to know there were horses on the mountain. He had no idea there was a path they were capable of traveling, through the various valleys and canyons between the towering walls of stone.  

Kaneki explained to him that the trails were rather new, only having been blown with dynamite a few years previous, as well as the gravel and dirt laid down since then, consistently making the path easier to travel. However, it still was dangerous with the rain, being narrow in some places and with sheer drop offs in others.

The road was a major cause for all the people showing up in Hide’s cave, from warriors looking for a prize, to some unfortunate travelers. The source of Hide’s problem was one he didn’t even know existed.

Hide fell silent against after that conversation, but Kaneki livened him up by promising him he could ride a horse once they were out of the range and on their way to the next town.

Nishio set up a separate tent for Kaneki and Hide, muttering under his breath the whole time, telling Hide to make a fire or at least do something useful.

Hide went off to pick some berries to add to their scarce food supply. Touka went out with her bow and arrow, later coming back with a couple birds. She was always a good shot, though her arrows weren’t always used for such basic purposes.

Nishio made the fire as well, and just as the sun was setting, the birds were roasting and Hide was mashing the berries into a sauce. Touka made a small noise in her throat when he turned away to eat, but Kaneki shot a look in her direction, soundlessly telling her to keep out of it.

Neither Touka nor Nishio asked about his past, or what his life was like. For Hide to randomly join them without preparations… Kaneki could guess why they would not. No one in the caravan had a good past and were used to not asking questions.

Once Hide was done eating, he happily turned back to the fire, warming his hands and shifting closer to warm the rest of his body. Nobody said too much, they sat in silence, save for some bickering between Nishio and Touka. Hide was quiet, which was a strange change, but Kaneki admired the more observant side of him as he listened to Touka and Nishio talk.

It was when the heat of the fire was dying down that Kaneki caught the edge of Hide’s shirt and convinced him to go back to the tent. Touka already left a half an hour earlier and was snoring quietly in her tent. Nishio sent them off, stating he would douse the fire before he left.

Back in their tent, Hide stripped away most of his clothing, letting it fall by the entrance without folding it. A mere minute later, he was cuddled up beside Kaneki, worming towards his warmth and his snakes sprawling all over now that they had the chance to move around freely.

…

Hide was complaining about how sore his ass was. He didn’t listen to Kaneki and stayed on the horse way longer than he should have. But he had fun, and was upbeat for the rest of the day, proving it wasn’t a loss after all.

It was when they were coming up to the town that Hide’s mood dropped and he fell behind the rest of the caravan, dragging his feet as he walked. Kaneki fell back to pace beside him, nudging Hide both in comfort and to get his attention.

“Are you okay?”

Hide made a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat. “What if they find out what I am? What if they don’t want to be around me?”

“Who? Touka and Nishio?” Kaneki asked, resting an arm on Hide’s shoulder.

“Well yes… but also… everyone else? What if there is nowhere I can…?” Hide shrugged in frustration.

“Belong?” Kaneki stopped and Hide followed suite. “Look… Hide. Nobody here is going to condemn you. I won’t, and neither will Touka and Nishio. No matter what happens, you will always have us.”

“…Thank you.” Hide murmured. Arms wrapped around Kaneki’s waist, pulling him tight. “I don’t want to lose anyone else.”

“Yeah.” Kaneki felt the same way. He lost too much in his life.

The town was bustling and cheerful. Small shops were open at every corner, and people were shouting over the hum of the crowd, trying to attract customers and sell their goods. Kaneki and Hide had moved to sit on the back of the caravan, guarding the entrance and their goods.

Once they got to the square, there was a rush of movement leaving Kaneki and Hide on the sidelines. Hide was anxiously glancing back and forth between all the people and Kaneki had no time to point everyone out to him.

He was going over his lines, muttering them under his breath as Irimi and Koma rushed around, helping him change into his stage costume and gave him small prompts of encouragement.

Showtime was in less than an hour and people were already beginning to gather, having paid the entrance fee to Yoshimura, who was a lot sharper than his appearance would suggest. Kaneki swore he had sight like a bird of prey.

In no time, Kaneki was standing on stage, his feet finding the familiar spot just off to the side, where the crowd could see him, but also where he could easily retreat into the offstage shadows when his lines were over.

He delivered his lines to perfection, but his gut twisted as it always did, relief coming over him when Touka sprung onto stage in her dress, motions fluid like a dancer’s. Kaneki came and left the stage, speaking between the action of the story, and finally at the end, the thundering applause pulling his lips up into a smile.

Hide found him after the show, having watched it from the crowd. “That was _so_ cool.” He grabbed Kaneki’s shoulders, roughly shaking him in his excitement. “ _Kaneki._ ”

Kaneki chuckled uneasily, feeling like his brain was being scrambled. “Sorry I’m not very excited Hide, it’s like the millionth time we put on this show. I wanted to do the new one I wrote already.”

His cheeks were squished suddenly by Hide, his next complaint turned into a mumbled jumble of words. “Are you telling me, that you, Kaneki Ken, wrote that amazing story.”

“It wasn’t that amazing,” Kaneki insisted, rubbing his sore face when Hide released him.

Hide snorted and Kaneki dodged his next grab at his shoulders, leaving him to groan. “You’re too modest.”

“See.” There was a slap on his back from Touka. “Even the newbie agrees.” Her arm locked around Kaneki’s neck. “Now. Quit complaining. We only have five more after this one. Yoshimura got us a second gig in this town. So look happy.”

“Yeah!” Hide joined in. “People like your story!”

“It’s all about the delivery,” Kaneki argued.

“ _Both._ ” Hide contended.

Touka settled. “Yeah. Can you imagine if Nishio wrote our stuff? We would have no audience.”

“Oi!” Ah. Nishio was pissed. “Get back to work you little shits!”

Hide was giggling and Kaneki couldn’t help but join in, covering his face to try to contain himself.

“You two can head off and explore the town if you want.” Touka said, pressing some money into Kaneki’s hands. “It’s not like cloaked boy is of too much use right now.”

“But –“ Hide jumped nervously to debate, his voice going up an octave, but he stopped talking and Touka continued soon after.

“You two look like you need some time. Go and have some fun. Out of the goodness of my heart.”

“The goodness of your heart.” Kaneki scoffed. “You just want us to cover for you at our next town, right? Yoriko lives there now, doesn’t she?”

“Oh shut it.” She all but pushed them out. “Go do something fun and leave me alone or I swear I will…”

“Yeah, yeah.” Kaneki took Hide’s hand, pulling him along. It was only a few steps later Kaneki turned to Hide. “Uh. It would probably be best if you led.”

Hide dragged him all over to every stall, shy at first, but soon gaining the confidence to talk to just about everyone.

They were heading across the street to another market stall when someone heavy bumped into Kaneki, knocking him to the ground and pulling his hand free from Hide’s. He rolled out of the way of heavy footfalls, one catching him in the ribs and knocking the air out of his lungs.

That was when he was roughly pulled to his feet. Blood roared in his ears and he didn’t catch what was said to him.

“Thanks Hide.”

“Who’s Hide? You alright?” An unfamiliar voice questioned him.

_Shit._


	4. Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Day 5: Reunion

“Kaneki?” Hide felt his palm pulled away, and when he turned, Kaneki was no longer there. It took a long few moments for it to set in, but when it did, Hide’s eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat. _“Kaneki!_ ”

He was nowhere to be seen. Hide rushed about the crowd, but he couldn’t find the familiar head of white hair. Hide cursed his height, his vision blocked by other towering bodies and his voice drowned out from the crowd.

Jumping around all he could, he searched, but to no avail. His chest constricted and his fingers trembled. He had no idea where he was, or if he was okay. Kaneki couldn’t see and he was lost in a crowd. With all the people, not even Kaneki’s superior sense of direction would be able to help him. It would be too easy to be turned around.

He had to find him.

He checked various stalls, thinking maybe Kaneki had taken refuge in one of them, away from the mass of people, but he had no luck.

That is until a voice called out to him. “Do you happen to be searching for someone?”

“Yes!” Hide perked up, looking for the source of the voice, and his eyes fell on an elderly lady, standing inside a shop adjourned with various charms and bright coloured jewellery.

The lady waved him closer with a smile and Hide eagerly leaned in to make out what she was saying. “This person must be very special to you. I can hear it in your voice.”

“You can?”

“Indeed.” The lady nodded. “You young ones don’t tend to notice how expressive you can be.” She gave a throaty laugh, throwing her head back. “You all dive headlong into the search for love.”

“Uh…”

The lady tilted her head. “You do love this special someone, don’t you?”

“Yes!” Hide said with glee immediately. That was out of the question.

“Romantically?”

“U-uh?” Did he? The thought of Kaneki that way made his stomach flip. Hide’s thoughts jumped to Kaneki kissing him… Hide shifted and pressed his fists against his face, groaning, and made the lady laugh.

“My husband was the same when he was young!” She slapped Hide’s shoulder. “I’ll tell you what! I’ll give you something special.”

She took one of Hide’s hands and gave him a small stone. “This will help you find your loved one. Come back with them next time and get them a gift.”

With a wink, she sent Hide off. Hide didn’t ask any more question. She clearly didn’t know exactly where Kaneki was, but maybe the stone could help? Hide help it up in the sun, the light hardly passing through its muddy surface.

It didn’t seem to help at all.

Hide sighed and tucked the stone into one of his pockets. He stumbled through the crowd, soon realizing it was getting thinner as night was quickly approaching.

It was then that Hide saw her.

She was standing on the opposite side of the street, with her arms crossed, staring at Hide intently. But it wasn’t like Hide could see her eyes. Of course he couldn’t.

Because just like Hide, she had a cloth covering her whole entire face, but the malice was evident. Hide’s eyes widened as a loud hissing filled the air.

It was his own serpents reacting to the person’s presence.

The crowd milled about, oblivious to the encounter.

Hide couldn’t move. He felt like he was rooted into place. He didn’t know if it was the shock, or if it was something else entirely, but it was only when he felt someone grab his elbow that he was shaken back into reality, finding that he was looking directly at Kaneki.

“Are you okay? I heard your…” Kaneki’s hand touched one of the serpents, who were gradually relaxing back against Hide’s head.

Staring back at the place the woman had been, Hide found it empty, but he knew it wasn’t his imagination. Maybe it was an instinct, or maybe a supernatural sixth sense, but he _knew_ he just met another one of his kind.

In a town. In _public_.

It was possible. Living beside humans was possible, but it had to be a delicate balance. So was that why… the other gorgon didn’t want Hide giving his identity away. It was too much of a risk.

The intent was clear. It was territorial. Hide was not welcome at all.

“Yeah. I’m fine… it’s just… when are we leaving this town?” Hide’s voice cracked and he cleared his throat in embarrassment.

Kaneki sighed. “Tomorrow, after our show. Why?”

“I’ll tell you later.” Hide relaxed his hand back into Kaneki’s. “Also I have no Idea where we are.”

Kaneki snorted a laugh. “I’m sure we’ll be able to find our way back. The town isn’t that big, after all.”

“It’s dark though. Nishio is probably angry we aren’t there to set up the tents.” Hide complained, kicking the ground in frustration. “Sorry. It’s my fault.”

“Don’t worry. We’re sleeping inside tonight.”

“Huh?” Hide asked. “What do you mean by sleeping inside?”

“One of the buildings,” Kaneki gestured around. “We have some extra money from the show so we are renting out a couple rooms for the night. It’s rare, but it’s pretty nice.”

Hide hummed, interested. He was never in a building before. What would they look like on the inside?

“Now let’s see.” Kaneki stopped a few people, asking for directions and eventually with some effort, they ended up at their location.

Hide could hear a few voices and Touka and Nishio arguing from within.

“Oh god.” Kaneki pinched the bridge of his nose. “I hope we don’t get kicked out because of those two again.”

“You were kicked out before?” Hide asked. “You paid, why were you kicked out?”

“They broke a table and woke up everyone else. The place claimed our money for repairs. It was awful.” Kaneki’s voice dripped with annoyance as he spoke, making Hide’s lips purse.

“Well! It won’t happen this time!”

“How can you know that?” Kaneki laughed lightly. “You’re so silly… Now common on. I still have to introduce you to everyone else.”

After the introductions, Hide and Kaneki set up in a corner, artfully draping a blanket over their space, providing some coverage in case Hide had a slip up during the night and his face became visible. It was unlikely, but precautious were still needed.

Even though Nishio and Touka’s teasing was unbearable.

It was only silent when they both went to sleep along with everyone else, leaving Hide and Kaneki with their awkward alone, but not really alone, moments. Hide didn’t mind. He liked the company and even just the feeling of being surrounded by other breathing, alive people. People who liked him. People who trusted him.

He happily squeezed closer to Kaneki, feeling him grunt when something sharp in his front pocket poked him.

“What is that?” Kaneki questioned tiredly, yawning.

Hide pulled the stone out of his pocket, smiling at its surface. “A nice lady on the street gave it to me. She said it would help me find my love.”

“And she just gave it to you?” Kaneki asked, sounding surprised.

Hide nodded. “She told me to come back and buy something for you later.”

Kaneki fell silent for a long time and Hide grew nervous. Did he say something wrong? Why wasn’t he responding? Did he –

A palm pressed into his face, gently pressing his head down into a pillow. One that was much softer than the one he was using for the past few days. It didn’t hurt, but Hide whined anyway.

“What was that for?” Hide pouted and Kaneki hid his face in his own pillow, pulling a blanket over his head. Was that a blush he saw on Kaneki’s cheeks?

“Never mind.” He muttered, voice muffled by the pillow. “Just go to sleep.”

“But I’m not tired.” Hide lightly prodded Kaneki’s shoulder. “I want to stay up and talk. It’s nice in here.”

“I’m tired.” Kaneki groaned. “And you are too. If you actually shut up, maybe you would realize it.”

Hide knew he wasn’t angry, but he left Kaneki alone anyway. Hide wasn’t tired, but he knew if he didn’t sleep, he would have a hard time getting up the next morning, so he followed Kaneki’s example and attempted to drift off to dream land, but his mind kept wandering.

His thoughts drifted from Kaneki – his smiling face and his soft voice – to the person he saw standing across the street earlier.

He could have a happy life. He could continue to travel with Kaneki and his friends and have relationships like a person. The concept was both terrifying and thrilling.

Hide snuggled closer to Kaneki and he felt arms wrap around him in an embrace. “Are you warm enough?”

Hide hummed in answer and closed his eyes. Kaneki was right; he was getting tired and the steady motion of Kaneki breathing lulled him to sleep.


	5. Loved

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 7: Anything goes!

Kaneki sat on the edge of the beach, his feet dipped into the tide. He was moving them back and forth slowly, finding the massaging sensation comforting. His feet were sore after so much traveling, but finally they were taking a little break.

They just finished their last show a few hours earlier and it would be another week before they hit the road again, ready to perform their whole new act. It was tiring, but Kaneki couldn’t deny he had fun.

A lot more fun lately, since the sunny addition to their group who had _finally_ learned how to competently clean up the stage after a show.

Before heading to the ocean, he and Hide both stripped down to their shorts, though Hide’s assemble included the cloth over his head and a hooded sweater to help camouflage the snakes.

Hide ran across the beach, kicking up sand as he went. He was never to the ocean before and he found the sight of endless water exhilarating.

Kaneki covered his face when he heard Hide thundering towards him, water splashing in every direction. Hide giggled as Kaneki shook the water from his hair, smiling.

“Come on!” Hide ran past again. “I want to go in the deeper water!”

Kaneki sighed and held out his arms. Hide made a happy sound and Kaneki felt him take his hands, pulling him up so he could stand.

“There we go!” Holding one of his hands, Hide slowly pulled Kaneki out further.

Admittedly, it was out of his comfort zone. The tide being as gentle as it was, Kaneki couldn’t differentiate too well between the sound of waves breaking over the sea and those breaking over land. If he went out too far… he wouldn’t be able to tell which direction was which. It worried him, but as long as he had Hide, he would be okay.

“Isn’t this nicer?” The water was over their hips and Kaneki did have to admit, it felt really nice.

“Yeah...” Hide rubbed his thumb along his knuckles and he nearly jerked back with the realization of how tightly he was holding his hand. But, Hide caught his hand in both of his firmly. Kaneki didn’t have to see it. He knew Hide was smiling.

“You didn’t have to come out here…” He muttered, tracing lines up and down Kaneki’s arm.

Kaneki tilted his head up towards the sky. The wind was getting cool, the sun just grazing his face with its warmth. “I know… I just wanted to make you happy.”

“Thank you.” Hide hummed in consideration. “But please, if it makes you uncomfortable… let’s head back.”

“No! Wait!” It wasn’t like Hide was going anywhere without him, but Kaneki nearly panicked anyway. “Just hang on…” There was something else he wanted to do. With the setting of the sun, and with their distance from the shore, no one could see them.

Biting his lip, Kaneki trailed his fingers to the edge of Hide’s hood. “Is this okay?”

It took a few seconds for Hide to answer, but when he did, he nodded, encouraging Kaneki to continue. Kaneki paused to caress Hide’s cheeks through the fabric before pushing his hood down.

So far, so good. Hide’s hands cupped his own as he slowly eased the cloth over Hide’s head. Hanging onto it in one hand, he ran the other along Hide’s snakes, who were roaming happily now that they were free.

They stood there for a long while, the water gently rolling against them. Kaneki was still considering and hadn’t made up his mind yet. He really did like Hide. He was a genuinely kind person and was fun to be around. He didn’t want to lose their friendship… yet at the same time… it was just a kiss? It couldn’t hurt to ask, could it?

He didn’t feel the same way about anyone else. Yes, he had friends, _good_ friends, but he didn’t feel a connection the way he did with Hide. He felt like nobody _understood_ him as well as Hide did. He did everything he could to make sure Kaneki was comfortable and happy and he _knew_ Hide adored him _so much._ He just really hoped he wasn’t misinterpreting anything.

Doubts and insecurities pulled him in the opposite direction of his desires. He felt like he was at a standstill.

Kaneki jolted when Hide cupped his cheek gently.

“ _Is this okay?_ ” Hide used Kaneki own words and soon, he felt breath against his lips and all Kaneki could do was nod numbly in shock.

Hide’s lips were a little chapped, but still soft. Kaneki didn’t really have anything to compare to, but Hide was far from a good kisser. Kaneki chuckled lightly at his obvious sloppiness, and Hide pulled back to giggle, complaining that it tickled his lips.

Kaneki answered by pressing theirs together gently again, taking it much slower than Hide and earning an appreciative hum in return. As Hide sighed into the kiss and his lips moved, Kaneki was almost shocked to feel pointy canines behind them.

He would have to keep those in mind for future reference.

They embraced, Hide nestling his head in the crook of Kaneki’s neck and Kaneki massaging his back slowly. It was calming.

“That was nice.” Kaneki finally stated, feeling awkward with the silence.

Hide snorted a laugh, agreeing.

It was only a few weeks since he met Hide and the time went by much more quickly than he thought it could have. He really hoped they had more time together and more opportunities to do things like they just did. More time for Kaneki to sort out his confusing feelings.

But, more time for him to feel just like he was.

Happy. Safe.

Loved.


End file.
